Defined By Deceit

Llew got out the truck and walked as casually as he could to the door. The doorman was a big guy, almost as tall as Llew’s six foot three, but not as muscular. “You here to take my job, buddy?” The man smiled, bearing stark white teeth at him, but Llew didn’t return it. The bouncer’s eyes lost their humor at Llew’s seriousness. He didn’t want the big man to think he was a trouble maker, but he knew any smile he tried to muster would fall way short.

“ID, please.”

Llew handed over his expired license but the guy didn’t seem to notice it. He stepped aside and let him in, not wasting any more niceties on him. As soon as he walked inside, he squinted at the sudden change of light. The place was so damn crowded, it was amazing people weren’t running into each other. After standing against the side wall closest to the door for a few minutes, his eyes adjusted and he was able to see what was around him. Men. Plenty of men. The room was oddly shaped, almost like an oval. The oblong bar was accessible from all sides. Tables lined the large dance floor, but they were all just about vacant, since seventy percent of the people in the place were on the dance floor.

Llew watched two young guys saunter past him, wearing clothes that had to be too tight to allow them to breathe. The one in black leather and a white tank top with pink rhinestones on the front shaped like the Playboy bunny dragged his finger across Llew’s chest as he went by. Oooookay. He figured he’d need a drink to get through this night. Nightclubs weren’t his thing. But, in actuality he hadn’t had a chance to get to know what his thing was. Hell, maybe he would like clubs. His twenty-first birthday was spent in a prison library, reading the latest Stephen King novel.

A guy with black hair and a blond Mohawk wiped the bar top with a rag as he asked him, “What can I get you?”

Llew nodded his head in the direction of the taps. “Budweiser.”

“Regular or tall?”

“Tall.” Llew watched the man pull his drink and set it in front of him. He looked up at Llew for a split second before dropping his eyes. “Four fifty. Or do you want to start a tab?”

Setting a five-dollar bill on the counter was Llew’s answer. He turned and looked out over the dance floor, watching the men move about in the most carefree nature he’d ever seen. Men free to live and do as they wanted. Not a problem in the world. What the fuck am I doing here? Just as Llew was going to down the last of his beer, a small hand brushed over his bicep. He looked down at the fair-skinned fingers before looking up into beautiful green eyes.

“Hello.”

Llew looked at the man who was standing close enough for him to smell his sweet perfume. He wasn’t as young as lot of the guys there. Probably early thirties. He wore a preppy gray and green sweater and blue jeans. His smile was wide and genuine as he slowly rubbed his hand up to Llew’s shoulder.

“My name is Gene. My friends and I saw you come in, and you know what I said as soon as I saw you?”

Llew continued to watch this man, not responding to his questions.

“I said I thought you could use a hug. You look so serious. My friends said I’m crazy, but I have a gift for reading people.”

You don’t want to read my story.

“What’s your name? I’ve never seen you here before.” The guy had moved in even closer to Llew’s side, and was practically whispering in his ear so he didn’t have to yell over the annoying techno music blaring from the five thousand speakers all over the building.

His eyes had seemed to slip shut on their own as he turned his head into the silky skin brushing against his beard. “Llew,” he said, hoarsely.

“Lou… just Lou.” The guy looked at him disbelievingly.

“Llewellyn.” He clarified, his eyes scanning over the lithe chest beneath that sweater.

“Oh. Okay. I gotcha. So how about it, Llew?” Gene brought both hands up and draped them on Llew’s shoulders. “Can you use a hug?”

He let the man pull him closer; his long arms completely over his shoulders and linked behind his head. Llew had to admit it was a really nice hug. It wasn’t the type you’d give a stranger. It was intimate and suggestive. Llew brought one hand up and slid it around the guy’s trim waist. “There. How’s that feel?” Gene’s lips were pressed against his ear while he talked, his hot breath fanning over the side of Llew’s neck. Instead of pulling back and ending the hug, Gene kept him wrapped up. “You’re a very handsome man, Llew. Do you hear that a lot?” Gene chuckled. “Probably all the time.”